Post date: Aug 24, 2011 1:37:33 PM
Dominique Straus-Kahn's political aspirations have taken a dive say pollsters, but the French Socialists look like they could still come out of the DSK-affair with their presidential hopes still intact.
PARIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 24, 2011) REUTERS - French polling institute IFOP said on Wednesday (August 24) that former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn's popularity had taken a hit, despite the fact that charges against him had been dropped.
France's reaction to a likely return of Dominique Strauss-Kahn was subdued, with newspapers focused on the stain to his image from his liaison with a New York hotel maid and his political allies reluctant to speculate on his plans.
But despite the results of the hearing being favourable for DSK, the French polling institute said he had lost the affection of the French people.
"The last twists in the Nafissatou Diallo case, those of July, have not inverted this trend. He lost 32 points between May and June and only regained 7 between June and July so from that point of view, beyond the judicial aspect and the current procedures, Dominique Strauss-Kahn has lost his status as a favourite in the presidential election and has lost, I would say for the moment, provisionally, the affections of the French with this very strong dip," said pollster Frederic Dabi.
Political analysts say Strauss-Kahn may never completely win back the respect of the French people and could struggle to be
accepted in public office given the stain on his image from the case and what it revealed about his private life.
Diallo is pursuing a civil case against Strauss-Kahn, and an inquiry is under way in France over allegations he tried to
sexually assault writer Tristane Banon in 2003. Diallo's lawyers have also filed a complaint against a Strauss-Kahn ally in
France for allegedly trying to silence a witness with money.
However, with the socialist primary but a few weeks away, Dabi said the party itself had not been too badly affected by the Strauss-Kahn affair.
"Francois Hollande has, I would say, slipped into the space which Dominique Strauss-Kahn occupied, on the centre left, by clearly beating Nicolas Sarkozy, as did Dominique Strauss-Kahn. So from that point of view, the elimination of Dominique Strauss-Kahn has not had a major impact, if any, on the current electoral power struggle, which continues to stay very favourable to the left," he said.
On Tuesday, socialist party members extended words of support to DSK but said he should take time before returning to politics.
Strauss-Kahn could be home as early as next week, after settling his affairs in Washington where he was based as head of
the IMF until his mid-May arrest on attempted rape charges that were dropped on Tuesday. His lawyer in France, Henri Leclerc,
said he was not aware he had yet set a date.